Can’t Tame the Tiger

Many refer to the lion as the king of the jungle. This weekend, however, the Tiger has claimed that title.

Eldrick Woods, more commonly known as Tiger Woods, won the Arnold Palmer Invitational this weekend at Bay Hill, Florida. This was his 77th career PGA Tour win, five wins away from the all-time record. The win was his third of the season.

Woods is without a doubt the greatest golfer of all time. Those 77 PGA Tour wins have come in only 18 years. It took record holder Sam Snead, who has 82 Tour wins, 30 years to reach that mark. Woods has also won 14 “majors” second only to Jack Nicklaus. It took Nicklaus 25 years to reach his record of 18 majors. There has been no golfer in history to reach the elite level Woods is playing this quick in his career, and for this long of a time.

Many thought that Woods would go downhill after the 2008 season ending knee injury, as well as the 2009 affair incident that tarnished his legacy. The Tiger had been knocked down, but he has come roaring back.

With the Masters coming in two weeks, Woods his gaining momentum at the perfect time. Earlier this season, Steve Stricker helped Tiger improve his putting, making him an even more dominant player. There’s nobody in golf that can stop, or even slow down, the phenomenon that is Tiger Woods.

Don’t get me wrong. There are many promising golf stars in the making, including Ricky Fowler, Rory McIlroy, and Bubba Watson. But it will take more than just one of those golfers having a great tournament; it will have to take Woods having a horrible tournament as well. Woods playing at his “average” would beat most of the field at any tournament. Although it’s possible that Woods doesn’t perform as well as he is capable of, I think Woods will win the green jacket, and get his 15th career Major win.

While many call Woods by his nickname ‘Tiger’, soon he will be called by a name of another animal. “The G.O.A.T.”